![]() ![]() The All Blacks were humbled by South Africa in their last warm-up match, suffering their worst ever defeat, although lucky forward Jordie Barrett avoided a ban after receiving a red card. Led by diminutive genius Antoine Dupont at scrum half, France have developed a formidable style of play marrying Gallic flair and ruthless accuracy. They broke a decade-long run of losses the last time these two sides met – at this very stadium in 2021. The All Blacks have overwhelmingly the better record, but France have reason for optimism. England, who made the final four years ago, are well off the pace after losing at Twickenham to Fiji last week. Along with Ireland and South Africa, these two sides are widely tipped to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. ![]() The Rugby World Cup begins in Paris at the Stade de France with this suitably epic encounter between hosts France and three-time winners New Zealand. Rugby World Cup 2023: France v New Zealand Using interviews, archive footage and reconstructions, the series looks in detail at missions around the world – including Operation Jawbreaker (the CIA’s post-9/11 campaign in Afghanistan), Operation Pimlico (the Le Carre-esque code-name given to the “audacious” exfiltration of KGB colonel and British double agent Oleg Gordievsky from Moscow in 1985) and the 1981 plot to kill Pope John Paul II – as various figures describe their role and how events unfolded. Some of the contributors, now well into their retirement, remain resolute in their view of the job – one says: “If we had any doubts, I would shoot you.” He’s laughing, but you know he’s deadly serious. ![]() Officials and intelligence officers (some of whom worked behind enemy lines) from various agencies – including MI6, Russia’s SVR, Israel’s Mossad and America’s CIA – talk about the various operations they worked on, including Cold War campaigns and coups carried out by covert agents. Anyone who likes a good spy thriller should head to this documentary series, made by the producers of Spycraft, which delivers tales of derring-do from those involved in dangerous undercover operations. ![]()
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